


I Love You More Than You'll Ever Wrap Your Head Around

by enby_potato



Series: Let Me Tell You The Truth [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Conversations, Depression, Emotional, POV Qrow Branwen, Parent Qrow Branwen, Qrow Branwen Swears, Qrow Branwen is Ruby Rose's Parent, Suicidal Thoughts, it gets soft, qrow loves his niece, they work some stuff out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24634642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enby_potato/pseuds/enby_potato
Summary: Everyone is struggling to process the fact that Qrow is Ruby’s father. This leads to several difficult conversations.TW for suicidal thoughts, depression, and alcohol abuse.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Maria Calavera, Qrow Branwen & Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen & Yang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long
Series: Let Me Tell You The Truth [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768801
Comments: 19
Kudos: 73





	1. Why Should I Play The Grieving Girl?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry that I've been gone for like a week, but I wrote something that is longer than usual! Title is from In Case You Don't Live Forever by Ben Platt, chapter title is from Requiem, a song from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. Both are great, go check them out!

Oscar presses his fingers to his temples, rubbing in fast circles. “Ugh, I _hate this!_ I want it to stop!” 

“That bastard!” Yang shouts angrily, “Tell him we aren’t done yet!” She stomps toward where Oscar is slouched against the tree, fully prepared to give him a piece of her mind.

The poor boy raises a hand in front of his face in a feeble attempt to protect his already smarting body. “No, he’s gone. _Gone,_ gone. It’s like he’s locked himself deep inside my head. Our head?” 

Yang leaps forward, and Qrow barely has time to snag her robotic arm before she can strangle the kid. “Yang,” he says gruffly as she tries to jerk away. _That’s my little firecracker,_ Short Stack’s voice echoes. “Yang!” 

She whips around to glare at him, “We deserve to know Uncle Qrow! We deserve to know what he thinks gives him the right to-”

“I couldn’t agree more!” Qrow cuts her off. Gods, he knows better than anyone. Qrow’s emotions are running higher than ever. How _the fuck_ could Ozpin not have considered sharing this vital piece of information important?! Qrow had dedicated his life to Ozpin, to the protection of humanity via the defeat of Salem. Nobody had wanted him: a curse. When Ozpin gave him a purpose? A chance to do some good in the world? He had jumped at the opportunity. His entire existence has been a sham. He’d trained to be a hunter, worked his way to the top, and eventually gotten accepted as part of Ozpin’s elite team. He’d defeated countless Grimm, spent years of his life on missions, and he’s given up _so much._ He lost his wife. He’d almost lost his _daughter._ He turns back to his niece, pausing to take a steeling breath. “Attacking Oscar isn’t going to help anyone.” Qrow’s teeth clench involuntarily and he has to consciously relax his jaw in order to speak. “Oz isn’t just gonna ‘show back up,’” he raises his hands in quotations, “He’s in hiding… _the coward.”_

“He just left us?” Weiss asks, shaking her head in disbelief. She looks as lost as Qrow feels. _Fucking hell._ Why should he bother trying to fight Salem at all anymore? What’s the point? 

**_Why can’t it all just end?_ **

He takes out his flask, swigging several gulps of the haze-inducing liquid. _Do it for Ruby,_ Summer pesters him. _If not for you, then for our daughter._ He wishes that she would just shut up, that he could be selfish for once.

“What are we gonna do now?!” Blake panics, and Qrow doesn’t miss how Yang twitches at her distress, going to her side to comfort the girl. _Keep an eye on those two,_ Short Stack warns. Qrow nods absentmindedly. She’s been more talkative lately, and he’s been drinking more. He has a way to drown out the racket of his brain, and for that, he is grateful.

“Children, children, calm down,” Maria chides, “We _all_ have done things we are ashamed of. We all make mistakes.” She stares pointedly at Qrow, causing him to blush and rub at the back of his neck. “Maybe Ozpin will come back, maybe not. That’s not the point. The _point_ is that I am surrounded by the most capable young hunters and huntresses in decades, and I believe that we have the will to move forward, to make our own decisions. We don’t need someone to do that for us.” 

“So what’s the plan?” Ruby pipes up from where she is seated next to Oscar, him leaning on her shoulder. “Do we continue on our journey to Atlas? _Should_ we?”

“Do we have a choice?” Blake asks, curled against Yang’s side in a similar fashion to Oscar. “What else can we do with the relic?”

Qrow supposes she has a point. Even if Salem can’t be defeated, that doesn’t mean they can’t delay the inevitable. Quite frankly, Qrow wouldn’t mind if the immortal witch unleashed her hellish wrath on him, but he does give a shit about the people he cares for. He gives a shit about _Ruby._ “I think the kid’s right,” Qrow agrees, “We should get the relic to Atlas. One more thing to slow Salem down.”

“Are you guys _serious_ right now?!” Weiss screeches indignantly. She begins talking slowly, as if explaining something to a small child. “Ozpin is bad, yes?” Qrow and Oscar wince at the same time. “We should do the _opposite_ of what he tells us to do. If Ozpin wants us to deliver the relic to Atlas, then shouldn’t we, I don't know, _not_ do that?”

“Weiss is right,” Yang admits, “I don’t think we should take the relic exactly where the guy who _lied_ to us tells us to. We can’t trust Ozpin anymore!”

Ruby and Oscar look up from where they have been whispering to one another. “Wouldn’t the relic be safest with Ironwood though? I mean, we don’t _want_ Salem to get her hands on it, do we?” Ruby queries. 

“Jimmy is probably the one who would protect it best,” Qrow grants, “Plus, Ozpin may be a liar, but he’s not stupid.”

Weiss puffs out her chest furiously. “How can you-”

“Enough!” Maria snaps, halting a brewing argument. “We need to get a move on! It’ll be dark before we know it, and every one of you is spewing negativity!” She blinks her ancient prosthetic eyes at the snowy woods around them. “There’s a trail over there. Trails usually lead somewhere.” Qrow smirks at her dry humor. Who _is_ this quirky old woman that seems completely unfazed by their unusual company, or their current predicament?

Yang frowns frustratedly, “Lady, I don’t know who you think you are, but-”

Maria slams her skull wrought cane into the ground with a thump, cutting the girl off. “No buts! I understand that you’re upset. Honestly, I’m still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity’s second time around.” Qrow looks at his feet. ‘Still coming to terms with’ _indeed._ “But if we don’t move, we die. And I’ll be damned if I lived this long just to die out here in the cold!”

“No, she’s right,” Ruby declares, with her usual sense of natural-born leadership. “C’mon.”

Qrow makes himself useful by packing what they’ve managed to salvage from the train, finishing and closing the lid on the last portable container.

“I’m just going to be another one of his lives, aren’t I?” Oscar sighs from across the clearing.

“Of course not,” Ruby assures him, taking his hands in hers. “You’re your own person.”

“Don’t lie to him Ruby,” Qrow growls, tipping his head back to down more alcohol. “We’re better than that.”

After a bit of a trek and more than a bit of bickering, they make it to a farm, swathed in the heady scent of death and mystery.

“This is creepy,” Weiss states the obvious.

“No shit,” Qrow grumbles, moving towards the fire pit to get some warmth in the ghost house. “We’d better all eat and rest up, hopefully the storm will have let up by tomorrow and we can get a move on.” He turns to face the group, “Who wants to go look for food?”

“We will,” Ruby volunteers, dragging a reluctant Weiss with her deeper into the dark house.

“Yang, wanna go scout out the other buildings?” He waves his hand at the door. “See if we can find something useful to get us out of here tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Yang nods, somewhat distrustfully, which, _fair._ He didn’t really expect her to get over the whole _I’m-Ruby’s-dad thing_ so soon.

The two step out into the harsh wind, and Qrow pulls down his sleeves a little further from where they had ridden up previously. Off to the right is a shed, burdened by snow, and making strange whistling noises every time a particularly strong gust slips through the old, leaky windows. Qrow sets off in that direction, hoping that it will hold something useful, like a way to transport seven people (if you didn’t count Oz). They walk in silence, the tension growing with every crunching footfall, but deign to acknowledge it until they reach the shed, stomping off their boots as they assess the inside. “Yang, I’m-” apologizing has never been easy for Qrow, but he pushes through as best he can, wanting his niece to know that he means it. “I’m sorry I lied about… y’know.” _As best he can_ doesn’t mean ‘good.’

Yang turns on him. _Oh boy,_ says Short Stack, _this kettle is about to boil over._ “Qrow, you’ve been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve trusted you wholeheartedly, without question! Now I’m starting to think mom was right; Question _everything.”_ Her fists clench violently, sick smile bitter, but Qrow doesn’t interrupt. He thinks that she needs to get this out. “Isn’t that sad? The woman who abandoned me might just know better than her liar brother who unfortunately stuck around.” Qrow flinches, but he still doesn’t say anything. She’s right, he supposes. “I know that Ruby’s forgiven you already, and I want to as well, I really _do,”_ she sweeps a strand of hair out of her eyes, _“But sometimes I think that Ruby forgives too easily.”_ A cold bolt runs up his spine. What can he do to fix all the pain he’s causing this poor girl by turning her world upside down? “Y’know what Ruby called me the other day? She said, ‘Cuz, back me up!’ and I _cried.”_ Yang wipes away a stray tear now, seemingly offended by its mere presence. “Not a lot, and not in front of her of course,” she defends herself, “but I still cried. I just don’t understand how you think you can swoop in after all these years and suddenly get to be her dad again! _Tai_ is the one who raised her, _he’s_ the one she should be calling ‘dad.’ You stole my sister!” There’s some snot running down her face now, and the waterworks have really begun. “You think that your semblance can justify this, but it _doesn’t!_ That’s not a reason to lie to your kid!” Her breath is shuddering out in harsh gasps now, and Qrow is preparing to… who knows, apologize? Whenever he attempts to diffuse an emotionally charged situation he tends to wing it. Maybe not the best policy. “You know, maybe you and your sister are more alike than you realize,” she practically spits at his feet in disdain, her mood swinging all over the place like some strange tree-dwelling Grimm. 

Qrow knows his eyes are wide with shock, and when he goes to her, wrapping her in a comforting hug, she doesn’t pull away. Fatherly instincts he supposes. “Have you been keeping all this bottled up this whole time?” His voice holds an edge of disbelief- Yang doesn’t deserve to go through all this. Guilt coils deep in his gut, burning hotter and hotter, begging to be relieved in some way, but he ignores it. This isn’t about him. _For fucking once,_ Summer adds. “You should talk to Ruby about this. Yang, she- she doesn’t think any differently of you just because you are a bit more distant by blood. Family isn’t assigned. It’s chosen.”

Yang wipes her nose on her sleeve, stepping back quickly. Afraid to be vulnerable. _Seems to be a Branwen family trait,_ Summer muses, and he can imagine the little smirk that would play across her lips if she were here. “What would you know about good relationships between siblings?” Yang mocks, somewhat deflated now, as if all of her fight is dissipating now that her anger has subsided.

It stings, but Qrow’s heard worse. He knows what people have said about ‘the bad luck charm and his crazy cult sister’ behind his back- he’s not stupid. And now he’s remembering why he drinks. Reaching into his shirt for his flask he says, “I’ve learned from my mistakes, kid, but they’ve already been made. Just tryin’ to give you a little pre-warning.” Tipping his head back for a gulp, he ignores the strange face Yang is making at him.

“Is-” she begins hesitantly, but Qrow makes no move to stop her, spurring her to continue. “Is that why you drink? Because of her?” Qrow tilts his head in confusion, and maybe a bit at the buzzing feeling that’s slurring his thoughts. Because of Raven? Yang spots his puzzled expression right away, clarifying. “Summer Rose. Is that why you drink?”

Qrow hangs his head. Fucking hell, if his emotionally awkward niece could read him that easily, he must be an open fucking book. His throat suddenly feels dry and scratchy at the mention of Short Stack, he hasn’t really heard anyone say her name out loud besides himself, sobbing it alone, in the dark, when no one was around to be nosing into his private affairs and his mourning. He remembers her funeral. It was somber, just him, Tai, the girls, and a few close family members and friends. No body. No casket. Just some white sheets and a bunch of aimless wanderers attempting to hold back their tears and choke their way through stories of their loved one. Qrow had left mid-service, unwilling to stare those he cared about in the eyes and admit that she was gone. That he was never going to see the light of his life again. After he left, unprepared for the chill of a crisp and persistent breeze, Qrow made his way to a pub, unthinking as his feet carried him where they would. That was the night he started drinking. When Tai found him the next morning, passed out on the street, unresponsive save for the violent shivers that wracked his whole body? That was also the day he started hearing her voice in his head. He knew it wasn’t real, and, lacking a better way to muffle her, he reached for his mostly empty beer bottle, feeling weak in his trembling, hypothermic state. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on his will to live on any particular day) Tai hauled him up, getting him medical attention and sending the girls to stay with an in-town friend while he spent a few days nursing Qrow back to health. Afterward, Qrow felt awful. He was _definitely_ unfit to be a father, despite what Short Stack had to say in protest, but he couldn’t quite shake the drinking habit that formed. He began carrying alcohol on his person at all times, and soon he was intoxicated just as much, preferring the numbness to the company of his own tumultuous mind. Qrow corrected Ruby when he saw her - _Uncle_ Qrow, Squirt - even if his heart broke a little every time he did so. Qrow would still give his life for Yang or Ruby without a second thought or a missed beat, but then again, he was reluctant to preserve it anyway many days. Oz had continued to give him a purpose at least, something to live for, something to work towards, but now even that was gone, replaced by a gaping hole that he’s only ever known one way to fill: alcohol. He’d probably be half-dead and wasted right now, frozen out in the middle of the woods if not for the kids and their strange new addition of Maria Calavera. He doesn’t know much about Maria, but her name seems somewhat familiar, and he doesn’t think that she is particularly dangerous, no matter what she has claimed about not being defenseless. He supposes he’ll have to ask her la-

“Uncle Qrow?” he is jerked out of his train of thought by Yang’s sharp voice, quickly reminding him that he is standing in an uninsulated shed in the middle of a snowstorm. Also, he is with his niece. Who’s serious and possibly important (?) question he can now not remember.

“Hmm?” he hums reflexively, trying not to betray how out-of-focus his brain is currently, and trying to remember what she had asked him. “What’s up?” Fuck. His throat was still scratchy.

“I…” her eyebrows scrunch and she suddenly looks a whole lot like her mother, “asked if you drink because of Summer Rose.”

Qrow nods his head slowly. He knows Tai, Ozpin, and a select few others know this, but he hadn’t explicitly told them. He hadn’t explicitly told _anyone._ “Yeah,” he half croaks, feeling itchy all over, like he does whenever he tries to talk about her. He wishes he could just disappear, drift away with the cold draft whistling through the windows and not come back. Instead, he lifts his gaze, forcing himself to make eye contact with her, “Yeah, that's why I drink.” 

For a moment, Yang just stares at him somewhat dumbstruck, obviously not expecting the sincere answer that he had given. Qrow was a joking kind of guy. It kept a wall up between him and the world, and he liked it that way, thank you very much. It was rare that he let his guard down long enough for someone to actually come in, no longer deterred by his deflective yet self-deprecating humor, truly a lousy distraction if anyone bothered to look closely. Like Ozpin had done. That manipulative fucking bastard. Qrow thinks that maybe it’s not very healthy of him to drink like he does for the reasons that he does, and yeah, maybe he shouldn’t have made some of the decisions he did, but it’s all in the past now, and Qrow isn’t keen on reliving it. Yang sits down with her back to a thin wooden wall, patting the space next to her in invitation. When Qrow joins her, she leans into him a little, just like Ruby had done after she found out she was his daughter. Yang needs support, something tangible to ground her, and probably some therapy if Qrow’s going to be honest. Gods, they _all_ could do with a little therapy. Or a lot. A lot would probably be best. “You miss her.” It’s more of a statement than a question, but Qrow can’t deny it.

“More than you know, kid.”

She leans in a little further, resting her head on his shoulder now and letting out a soft sigh. “Me too.” They’re quiet for a while, marinating in their own thoughts and each other’s company, neither willing to break the spell that has fallen over them. After who knows how long (minutes… hours?) Qrow feels a shiver run through Yang and she curses. “It’s this damn arm. Gets cold faster- chills my whole body.” 

Qrow nods sympathetically. “Well, we should get going anyway, the others are gonna start wondering soon and we haven't even checked out the barn yet.” 

Yang stands up, brushing the dirt off her pants. “I don’t think that there’s anything useful in here, we might as well.” Back to her tough, untouchable persona. Qrow knows all about that.

They explore the other buildings, finding dried husks of people still tucked under their covers, a whole lot of rats, and, most importantly, a trailer that Yang thinks could be hooked up to Bumblebee to transport them all to Atlas. Then, the two trek back to the house with their news, the mood between them much different from when they had left. If anyone notices, they wisely decide to hold their tongue.


	2. What Did I Do To Deserve You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's like five seconds of farm boy and his bird dad (I couldn't resist, I love them too much), but this is mainly Ruby and Qrow talking about Summer Rose. There's a lot about Team STRQ's past in here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just came out of my brain yesterday when I was either exhausted or highly caffeinated throughout the whole day with no in between. I hope you like it!
> 
> Much thanks to my fantastic beta, ZoeyTheWeeb for editing this fic!

Dinner has been made, and Qrow leaves the kids to eat together in favor of spending some time with the mysterious Maria Calavera. The old woman huffs as she ladles the corn and bean soup that Blake and Oscar have prepared into a bowl, takes one of the spoons that are laid out on the counter, and makes her way to the overstuffed armchair opposite of where Qrow is sprawled out on the couch. Qrow doesn’t realize that he’s been staring until she glares at him, “Are you going to say something, or are you just going to keep ogling me like a brain dead buffoon?” 

Qrow snorts. From what he has gathered, this seems to be very in-character for Calavera. “Just wondering who you are,” he says truthfully. “What kind of person is this calm throughout everything we’ve just been through? Are you trained? Ex-Huntress?”

Maria just chuckles softly, taking a spoonful of soup and blowing on it until it cools enough to not burn her tongue. “Oh, yes. I was quite popular in my time. People called me the Grimm Reaper.”

Qrow feels his eyes practically burst out of his skull, hunger forgotten. “Y- _you’re_ the Grimm Reaper?!”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Maria - _the_ Grimm Reaper - mutters. It’s lost in the crashing torrent of Qrow’s thoughts and words.

“You’re a legend!” She had famously been able to slay any Grimm that came her way, an unstoppable force. “When you dropped off the map, we all figured you’d died, but, well,” he gesticulates wildly at her. “I can’t believe this is real! I looked up to you when I was training y’know. You were a great inspiration to plenty of us students.” Maria embarrassedly tries to shush him, but Qrow is on a roll, making the most of being able to fangirl over his idol. “I don’t even know what to say!”

“Nothing,” Maria grumbles, and something that appears suspiciously similar to guilt crosses her face.

“...W- why?” Qrow asks, scooching back from where he has moved to the edge of his seat in excitement. Maria’s face twists in a way that suggests she has just bitten into something sour.

“I’m… not proud of many things I have done.” Qrow makes a perplexed noise, but like with Yang, opts not to interrupt. He seems to be the ideal dumping ground for feelings today. “After Salem stole my silver eyes-” Qrow makes a surprised noise, but Maria barrels on. “-I wasn’t the same. Even after I got my prosthetic eyes,” she taps them as they make a strange whirring noise, “I still was scared. Of Salem, of the hunters and huntresses… I don’t know. I think it was a combination of many things that led me to retreat. Retreat in _cowardice.”_ She shakes her head, “I’m not a legend or a person that you should look up to. Because I’m just that. A person. People make mistakes.” 

A heavy silence permeates the air as Qrow tries to figure out what to say to this woman who is twice as old as him, twice as experienced. “You’re right. People make mistakes.” Qrow hangs his head, elbow resting on knees. “Hell, I left my _kid.”_

Maria hmms, “And will you ever be able to forgive yourself completely?”

There is a pause before Qrow replies, firmly, “No. I- I don’t think it’s possible to just wash away everything- _everyone_ I’ve hurt.”

Maria just grunts, but Qrow waits for a minute or two for her to respond. He’s done a lot of damage, yes, and he’ll never be able to forgive himself, but he can’t bring himself to regret most of his decisions, even if he would have done things a bit differently, given the chance. Everything he did? It was for Ruby. _Qrow,_ Summer interrupts, trying to stop his train of thought from speeding off its tracks and down into a ravine. _Qrow, you need to calm down._ He takes a deep breath, not willing to spiral now, not with so many people around him that are relying on him to be strong, to know what he is doing. As his heart slows down, he is brought back to the present. No, he’ll never quite forgive himself, but- oh. _Oh._ “I guess we’re in the same boat, in a sense.”

“I guess you’re right.”

From the doorway, there comes a little cough, and Qrow whips around, noticing how Maria seems unperturbed. Standing there, looking somewhat nervous, is Oscar. “Uh,” he holds up his bowl of soup, “May- may I join you?” He bites his lip, seeming prepared for the possibility that they will turn him down.

Qrow jerks his head to the spot next to him on the couch. “Sure kid, what’s up?” Oscar eyes him warily, and Qrow remembers how he had slugged him the last time Ozpin had taken over. “I only bite sometimes.”

Oscar blushes profusely, and goes to sit next to Qrow. “I just, uh, don’t really know what to _do_ with myself.” The couch shifts a little at his added weight, and some of the beans on Qrow’s spoon fall back to his bowl. Qrow observes how Oscar scratches at his neck, the bandages shifting slightly to reveal the edge of a scar before he adjusts his collar, and it is all hidden from view. “Before I had Ozpin,” Qrow clenches his teeth, “but now- I’m just a kid who barely knows how to fight.” 

Maria gets up and leaves the room, providing some offhand comment about getting more soup, despite her bowl being nearly full still. Qrow scrunches his eyebrows together, “If you’re worried about being dead weight, I can help you train.”

Oscar appears to be surprised, but he just nods slowly. “Uh, yeah. That- that’d be amazing.” He offers Qrow a small smile, “Thanks.”

Qrow reclines a little further, stretching his legs out. “Sure, kid.” 

They eat their soup for a time until Oscar breaks the silence, “You haven’t really talked to Ruby yet.” It’s more of a statement than a question.

“No, just Yang,” Qrow rubs his eyes as he recalls _that_ emotionally draining conversation. “I guess I should.” Why does it all have to be so _complicated?_

Oscar sticks his spoon into his mouth, taking a moment to swallow. “She and I were talking,” Qrow raises his eyebrows, “I know she seems fine, but… well, you just turned her whole world upside down. I honestly don’t know how she’s been coping so far. I mean, what would you do if Raven suddenly wasn’t your sister and you found out that you weren't actually born into the Branwen tribe?”

Qrow frowns, this kid may not be Ozpin, but he sure talks like him. “I’d have questions,” Qrow replies simply, honestly. Gods, Ruby must have _so many_ questions, the poor kid. “I’ll have a chat with her after dinner.” 

They fall back into on-and-off conversation for the rest of their meal, vaguely listening in on the chatter coming from the kid’s table in the other room. After dinner, Weiss commandeers the dishwashing operation, directing soap, dry towels, and silverware in a flurry blue and white. When all the action finally settles down, Maria suggests that they all try to get some rest, and everyone goes off to their separate sleeping bags. Qrow is starting to set up on the couch when there comes a tap on his shoulder.

“Un- um, Qrow?” Ruby is standing there, decked out in the underclothes of her usual outfit, a simple white blouse, her skirt, stockings, and on her forehead, a sleep mask that she carries around in that little backpack of hers. Ruby yawns and it causes Qrow to follow suit, feeling his back crack as he stretches his arms up over his head. 

“What’s up, kiddo?” he asks, turning to look down into Ruby’s striking silver eyes. _She’s so strong and beautiful,_ Short Stack comments, and Qrow can hear the pride in her voice, similar to his own whenever he talks about his daughter. 

Ruby bites her bottom lip, awkward teenage vibes radiating out in every direction. “Oscar said you wanted to talk to me?” Qrow glares over where Oscar is leaning against the wall, trying to seem inconspicuous. _That little bastard._ Qrow would get him back later. Under his moderately menacing gaze, Oscar quickly scampers out of the room, no doubt heading for his own warm sleeping bag by the fire.

Qrow turns back to Ruby, releasing a heavy sigh that he hadn’t even known he was holding in. “Uh, yeah,” Qrow reaches a hand to scratch an itch behind his ear. He’s never been great at this whole ‘adulting’ thing. “Look, I uh, I know this must be really hard on you, all of this, and I was just wondering if you wanted to ask me anything? Anything at all?” He knows what she’s going to ask about- the same things that Tai always did and still does: Why do you blame yourself? Why did you leave? When did you plan on telling me?

Ruby stares up at him for a moment, apparently trying to judge how serious Qrow is about his offer. Instead of asking the questions he’s heard a million times, she gets this spark in her eyes. “Tell me about my mother,” Ruby says definitively, “Tai never talked about her, and I guess no one knew her better than you anyway.”

Qrow squeezes his eyes shut- this is going to dig up some memories that have been buried for a _long_ time. “Sure,” he nods, voice tight, “You might want to sit down for this.” After they get comfortably situated on the couch, Qrow perching rather like a bird (what? It’s comfortable), he pauses. “Where do you want to start?” Already an onslaught of happier times have begun to consume Qrow, overwhelming him with the feeling of laughing so hard it hurts, contentedly sipping hot chocolate, and love. Love, love, love, love, _love._ For Summer, for Ruby, for Team STRQ and his niece, and for everyone in between. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to think that the world must be more good than bad. I mean, how could it not be with all of the wonderful people in it?

Ruby shrugs, “At the beginning I guess. How did you meet?” 

Qrow smiles, a younger Ozpin’s words echoing in his head, _The first person that you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years._ “Guess we just kinda had an eye out for each other from the beginning,” he chuckles. “Oz threw us off the cliff- I ended up with Summer, and Raven ended up with Tai. Gods, she was so pissed at first.” The nostalgia was starting to set in, something he had staved off for quite a while. “We were an interesting group of kids. Strong? Sure! Compatible? Well… not at first.” Qrow remembered the fights they would have. He, Raven, and Tai always getting into some sort of argument or trouble while Summer attempted to mediate. “Your mom, she was the leader of Team STRQ. She was everything a leader should be: courageous, empathetic, and steadfast; Kinda like you, Squirt.” He reaches over to ruffle her hair and her nose scrunches just like Summer’s always used to, sending a sharp pang through his stomach that he is pretty well versed in ignoring.

_“Daaad,”_ Ruby grumbles, scrambling away. 

Time seems to stop for a moment while Qrow chokes, “Uh.” He goes kind of still. Ruby hasn’t called him that since… well, since she was two years old.

The red-haired girl gives him a confused look, not seeming to realize what she had said. “You okay there?” her voice is laced with concern.

Qrow shakes his head, not unlike a dog, trying to dislodge the image of toddler Ruby from his brain. “Hm? Oh, yeah. I-I’m fine.” He still reaches into his shirt for a drink.

Qrow closes his eyes, tipping his head back in preparation for the relief of the alcohol to burn its way down his throat, when he feels a gentle but insistent weight pin down his arm, preventing him from lifting the flask to his lips. He grunts at the unexpected hand gripping his wrist before he meets his daughter’s intense gaze and gives her a questioning look. “Uh,” she blushes, pulling her arm back, “Can you… not do that while I’m around? I- I just- I can’t watch you do that to yourself anymore. Especially now that I know it’s because of her.”

Qrow screws back on the cap of the flask and tucks it into his shirt. Hell, he’ll never drink again if it makes her happy. He sure has a soft spot for these Roses. “You talked to Yang then?”

“Huh? Um, no. Why do you ask?” she looks genuinely puzzled.

Qrow blinks. “Oh. Nevermind then, I guess.” Ruby was one smart cookie, just like her mother had been. The girl didn’t press any further, just shrugging and gesturing for him to get on with the story. “Like I said, Team STRQ had issues all our own. We were a good team, but we never would’ve been great without Short Stack there to lead us and help us work together. Eventually Raven began to see that Tai was a really caring type of guy under his little-shit exterior that annoyed her so much, and she also finally realized that he had feelings for her,” Qrow smirks, “I think she was the last to know honestly, Tai never was very subtle. They were really good together. She mellowed him out, and he gave her a bit of life.” Qrow’s lips pinch into a hard line, “She was always so goal-driven, she never stopped to just live in the moment or take some time for herself.” 

He takes a deep breath, preparing to admit to Ruby something that very few people knew. “We - Raven and I - came to Beacon for a different reason than most other kids. We wanted not to _be_ hunters, but to _destroy_ hunters.” Qrow waits for her response, but all he gets is a furrowed brow. “The Branwen tribe needed a way to defend against any hunters that tried to attack them, and they decided that the best way to do that was to send us to learn how to become hunters ourselves. We were the most capable young warriors our tribe had seen in years. Raven and I passed the entrance exam easily, and we ended up on the same team despite not becoming partners right away. Ultimately, your mom made me see that it was better that I use my skills to help rather than hurt, and I thought that Tai did the same for Raven…” Qrow just shakes his head as if to say, _Obviously not._

“We became pretty famous, broke a lot of records and stuff. Tai and Raven were dating, and meanwhile, I was just sitting on my ass with a giant crush that I didn’t think Summer would ever reciprocate. She was so witty and brave… kind and beautiful. My semblance- it had always been a curse to everyone around me, but she didn’t care. She used to tell me that she didn’t see me for _what_ I was, but _who_ I was.” A tear slips down Qrow’s face, unbidden, but Ruby simply reaches up and wipes it from his cheek with her sleeve. 

“By our last year at Beacon, Raven was pregnant with Yang, and I still hadn’t even said anything to Summer yet. I don’t know what exactly convinced me to get out of my own head and take a fucking leap, but whatever it was made me ask her to the school dance our last year at Beacon.” Qrow scrubs his eyes in a somewhat successful attempt to compose himself. At least he’s not crying anymore; Now he just looks _very_ hungover. “She never really said yes, and she had to be all sassy about it of course.” Qrow grins a bit wetly. “Just went, _Finally!_ as if I should have known that she was waiting for me to ask her all along. I guess I should’ve. I was so caught up in my thoughts that whole week before the dance- I didn’t even know that she had turned down three other guys before me. That night was our first kiss, and we got together after that. She was the one to ask me on our first date because I supposedly ‘take no initiative.’” 

Qrow playfully elbows the carbon copy of Summer Rose sitting next to him, “She was always just a touch cheeky, like you, but I guess I brought it out in her. We graduated and Yang was born, but Tai and Raven’s relationship became shaky, and one day it crumbled. That’s not really for me to tell you about, but in the end, Raven went back to the Branwen tribe and Tai was left to raise Yang by himself. Summer and I decided to move into a house nearby, to help take care of Yang, which is probably why Yang remembers her better than her own mom. A couple months later we got engaged.” Qrow smiles, but it’s bittersweet, tainted by the sadness and regret he’ll always feel when she comes to mind. “When we found out about you, we were ecstatic, and the day you were born was the happiest of my life, followed closely by our wedding day that fall. For about a year I was a stay-at-home dad with you until Oz sent us on one of his highly confidential missions and- well, you know the rest.” 

Ruby nudged underneath his arm to snuggle up into Qrow’s warm embrace. “Sometimes I just can’t believe how alike you two are, it’s astounding to see the similarities. Both of you have fire in your veins, and I’ve experienced first hand how feisty you two can get. She used to make shadow puppets in the projector when Port wasn’t looking; It irritated Raven to no end, but Tai thought it was hilarious, and I was secretly laughing too. Even though Short Stack _was_ something of a middle ground in all of our major arguments, we all just had a tendency to drive each other straight up the walls. We got better, but I’m still not sure how the professors survived us that first year.” 

Qrow takes Ruby’s hand, tracing the lines of her palm with the tip of his calloused index finger. They sit there for a few moments, wrapped up in each other’s warmth, neither wanting to move. When Ruby’s eyelids begin to droop, Qrow shakes her awake. “You should get to bed, kiddo, we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” He knows that they’ll need to talk more later, but for now, he hopes this is enough to satisfy the young Rose’s burning curiosity.

“Mmmm,” Ruby gets to her feet a little unsteadily, drowsy and unaccustomed to the cold outside of the human cocoon that she had made out of Qrow. She presses a quick kiss to his forehead, “‘Night Dad,” she yawns, “Love you,” and _okay,_ Ruby is going to call him Dad from now on, which is totally fine by Qrow, just a little abrupt.

He ruffles her hair, “Love you too, Squirt.” Qrow had much to think on, but as he slowly got ready for bed, he made a silent promise to Ruby and to himself. Then, he grabbed his flask and dumped it out in the sink, refilling it with water and storing it back in his bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's getting sober for his daughter, okay? I hope you liked reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it! Please take a moment to leave comments and kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, I'm working on one or two more chapters for this installment, so spitball some ideas and I might include them! Also, please leave kudos and comments, I work hard to write this for y'all, and I really hope you take two minutes to give back a little♥


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